Arch Linux

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

[SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

For quite a while now, I've had problems with tearing when using the nvidia driver. This occurs in video playback (mplayer & flash), and when running 3D games. I've tried the following:

- Disabling compositing in KDE
- Changing VSync settings in KDE
- Various xorg.conf tweaks I found in the forums
- Switching to awesome WM, just to completely rule out anything KDE related
- Changing all kinds of settings in the nvidia-settings program
- Deleting every nvidia related config file I can find

Switching to the nouveau driver fixes the tearing, but the performance isn't good enough for gaming. Any suggestions? I can't remember what caused the problem to start - whether it was an nvidia driver update, or something else . . . so I'm not sure how to start fixing it.

Last edited by deadrabbit (2013-12-19 21:39:31)

dodo3773

Member

Registered: 2011-03-17

Posts: 818

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

All kinds of nvidia proprietary driver problems lately. Try rolling back the driver and see if that helps.

polaris6262

Member

Registered: 2013-11-01

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

What specific version of the NVIDIA driver are you having problems with?

It might help if you would provide a bit more information on your hardware, including of course the graphics card.

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

I did give rolling back the driver a try - I removed the nvidia packages, and installed the older version from my pacman cache. My system wouldn't boot though . . . I'm sure I'm missing some steps. Also tried using downgrader, but it kept segfaulting.

I'm running the 331.20-1 nvidia driver. My card is a GF108 (GeForce GT 440).

dodo3773

Member

Registered: 2011-03-17

Posts: 818

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

Maybe try rolling back the kernel too. Could be why it's not working. Some kind of symbol mismatch or something

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

I downgraded to the last major release, I'm now version 325.15-7, from 11/14. I also downgraded the kernel to a release from around that date . .. and switched to the LTS kernel, just for fun. However, the tearing problem persists, so I guess I'll try going back even further . . . too tired to do it tonight though. Thanks for the suggestions.

Last edited by deadrabbit (2013-12-06 08:28:13)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 23,963

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

FWIW I don't have any problems with 331.20 and 3.12.2, i did get v-sync to work properly in KDE 4.11 by adding

export __GL_YIELD="USLEEP"

to /etc/profiles, see this bug report for more information. maybe the hint to enable TripleBuffering helps you as well? (I haven't tried it myself though, but may do so later tonight)

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

Thanks for the tip - setting triple buffering, and adding the __GL_YIELD variable doesn't seem to change anything.

blackout23

Member

Registered: 2011-11-16

Posts: 781

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

KDE 4.11 has a known bug.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=169743

Of course you'll have tearing with awesome wm, since it has no openGL compositor.

firekage

Member

From: Eastern Europe, Poland

Registered: 2013-06-30

Posts: 623

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

Switching to the nouveau driver fixes the tearing, but the performance isn't good enough for gaming.

I would like to ask for one thing - where did you set "vsync on" or enable tearing free option for nouveau? I tried to do what is written on archwiki for nouveau (add some lines to cfg files) but with it i have no screen at all after reboot.

Jellicent

Member

From: Berlin

Registered: 2013-09-13

Posts: 189

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

I've been having tearing since ever. Been through some driver versions. I don't think downgrading will help.

Korrode

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2009-11-02

Posts: 110

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

- Various xorg.conf tweaks I found in the forums

Ever tried this?
http://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title … ary_driver

---

xfce | compiz | gmrun | urxvt | chromium | geany | aqualung | vlc | geeqie

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

I would like to ask for one thing - where did you set "vsync on" or enable tearing free option for nouveau? I tried to do what is written on archwiki for nouveau (add some lines to cfg files) but with it i have no screen at all after reboot.

I created /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nouveau.conf based on this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/No … ompositing

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

Ever tried this?
http://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title … ary_driver

I hadn't tried that. After adding that line to my xorg.conf file, it seems like there is significantly less tearing. Hard to tell for sure though . . . the level of tearing was varied before. I guess next time I watch a movie, I'll have a better idea. In any case, it certainly didn't hurt anything - thanks!

Archdove

Member

Registered: 2011-09-23

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

Take a look at this Post. Using Nvidia together with Compton-Git and the right parameters made it flawless for me
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=161403

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

Take a look at this Post. Using Nvidia together with Compton-Git and the right parameters made it flawless for me
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=161403

Thanks, video playback in awesome is now flawless!

alex404

Member

Registered: 2009-12-03

Posts: 51

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

I've always had the same problems with the nvidia drivers as deadrabbit, and the post pointed to by archdove solved the problem. Sweet!

This thread should probably be marked as solved.

deadrabbit

Member

Registered: 2008-04-26

Posts: 118

Re: [SOLVED] Nvidia tearing

I've always had the same problems with the nvidia drivers as deadrabbit, and the post pointed to by archdove solved the problem. Sweet!

This thread should probably be marked as solved.

Good point, I'll mark it as solved.